Bloom

A chef in Chicago asked for a ring she could wear while she cooked. That one line decided almost everything about the build. She wanted it to feel like a flower. She also wanted to be able to grab a hot pan, wipe her hands on a towel, and knead dough without the ring becoming a hazard.

We set a cluster of round moissanites in 18k yellow gold with a brushed finish. Seven stones in the bloom, the center at 4mm and six 2.2mm rounds around it, graded so the petals sit about 0.4mm below the center. Total metal is 5.1 grams. That is heavy for a ring this size, and it is deliberate. A thin cluster with a raised head gets knocked out of round in a kitchen. This one can take a knock.

The center is a bezel, not prongs. Everything else is a bead-set cluster sunk into the metal. Nothing on this ring stands higher than 1.2mm off the band. That number came from her. She held a caliper to her old ring and told me what caught on the towel. The first wax had the bloom sitting 2mm proud and I could see the problem on the model before it was cast, so we cut the head down and re-carved the petals.

Getting the brushed finish right took two tries. A satin wheel over a cluster leaves dark patches in the recesses between stones, and it took a fine brass brush to even it out without polishing the flat faces. The bezel rim stays bright on purpose. That is the only shine on the piece. Here is the tradeoff: a brushed finish dulls. Hers came back at nine months for a re-brush and a tighten, and we did it in an afternoon at no charge.

5 weeks from CAD approval. She wears it every day, including service. The only thing I would change is the underside. I would open the gallery another half millimeter for airflow, because she washes her hands constantly and soap builds up under there.